Sprinter Maracheva among four Russians banned for doping

Sochi, Jan 25 (IANS) European 800 metres silver medallist Irina Maracheva and three others were on Monday banned by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) for doping.

Maracheva and walker Anna Lukyanova, a former silver medallist at the world junior championships, have been given a two-year ban, while middle-distance runners Maria Nikolaeva and Yelena Nikulina were handed four-year bans, Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) said in a statement.

“On January 1 the Russian Olympic Committee held a working session of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee of the ROC (WCC), chaired by Gennady Alyoshin,” the statement said.

“Committee members heard a report on the results of joint work with the task force of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) (January 11-12) and discussed the programme of activities for the next implementation of the criteria for restoration of membership in the International Association of Athletics Federations,” ROC said.

“Following the tough stance of uncompromising fight against doping, the WCC on the basis of the documents received from the IAAF disqualified Marachevu Irina and Anna Lukyanova for two years for violation of anti-doping rules and approved the decision to disqualify Elena Nikulina and Maria Nikolayeva for four years,” the statement said.

The (IAAF), which governs world athletics, provisionally suspended Russia from international competition in November.

“Also at the meeting it was approved by the commission of inquiry of the Interim Coordinating Committee under the leadership of Executive Director VFLA, Alexander Parkin, which will include representatives of the legal and judicial institutions, the Russian Olympic Committee and the Russian Athletics Federation,” the statement read.

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